Device for sealing packages.



No. 633,007. Patented Sept. l2, I899. H. M. HUMPHREY. DEVIGE FOR SEALINGPACKAGES.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT @rricn.

HENRY M. IIUMPIIREY, OF PLAINFIELD, NE\V JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR SEALING PACKAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,007, datedSeptember 12, 1899.

Application filed February 4, 1899. Serial No. 704,518. (No model.)

To It whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. IIUMPHREY, ofPlainfield, in the county ofUnion and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and 1111- provedDevice for Sealing Packages, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact dc scription.

The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the mouths ofpackages made of paraffin or wax paperor a like material may be sealedair and water tight without using a cement or a cementing compound.

A further object of the invention is to obtain the above-named resultsin a simple, durable, and inexpensive manner.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package, the side folds having beengiven the package at the top above its contents. Fig. 2 is a detailperspective View of the top portion of a package, illustrating themanner in which the upper edges of the package are folded over uponthemselves. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upperportion of thepackage, showing the said upper portion provided with a double fold, andthis figure likewise represents a perspective view of a sealing-plate,said plate being shown in position to engage with the folded upperportion of the top of the package. Fig. 4 is a vertical section throughthe folded top portion of the package and the sealing-plate engagingwith said folded top portion of the package. Fig. 5 is a View similar toFig. at, illustrating the sealing-plate as clamped upon the folds at thetop of the package to effect the closure of the mouth of the package,and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the package completely sealed.

A represents a package which is usually of a waterproof material, suchas a paraffin or a wax paper. The bottom 10 of the package ispermanently closed in any suitable or approved manner, and after thepackage has been filled that portion of the package above the materialat the ends 11 is folded inward and upward, producing horizontalportions 12 and vertical portions 13 above the contents of the package,and then the sides 14 are carried inward toward each other, formingflaps which lie normally in close engagement. lVhen the mouth of thefilled package is to be closed, the upper edges of the flaps 14: arebent upon themselves in. a downward direction, forming a, transversefold l5. (Shown in Fig. 2.) WVhen the first transverse fold 15 has beenmade in the flaps, said folded portion 15 is carried again downward,obtaining a second fold 16. Thus the upper edge of the package is closedby dual registering trausverse folds. These folds are held in positionby a sealing-plate B. This sealing-plate is preferably made of metal,although other material may be employed, and said sealing-plate at oneof its longitudinal edges is provided 7 plate is pressed or forcedviolently in engage ment with the outer fold 16, the said pressure beingproduced by any suitable machine or in any desired manner. When theflange 17 of the sealing-plate is forced to a firm engagement with theouter fold, the outer and inner folds of the flaps 14.- are maintainedin close relation to each other and likewise in close relation to thesealing-plate and its flange, as shown in Fig. 5. After the sealingplatehas been applied said sealing-plate is carried horizontally down on thetop of the package, as shown in Fig. 6, thus providing a water and airtight closure of the mouth of the package without the use of cement ormaterial of like character. Furthermore, di-

rections or instructions of any character may be produced upon thesealing-plate,and such instructions may be readily read while thepackage is still sealed.

A package sealed as above set forth can be opened only by cutting ortearing the material of which the package is made unless the flange ofthe sealing-plate be pried from the fold of the package, and in thiscase it would be exceedingly difficult for a dishonest person to replacethe sealing-plate without evidenlrlze that it had been removed ortampered wit I desire it to be understood that the sealing-plate may beof any desired widthin fact, may be simply a strip of metal or likematerial.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- I 1. A package made of paraflin or wax paper andhaving its upper edges brought together and bent upon themselves to forma fold, and a sealing-plate provided with a flange between which and thebody of the plate the said fold is received and upon which fold theplate is firmly and immovably clamped, whereby a package hermeticallysealed will be produced and access to the pack age can only be had bycutting or tearing ofE the material of which the package is made,substantially as described.

2. A package made of paraffin or wax paper and having flaps, the endflaps being folded inward upon the contents of the package, and the sideflaps being carried inwardly and upwardly into contact with each otherand having their upper edges bent upon themselves, to form a fold, and arectangular sealing-plate adapted to receive directions or instructionsconcerning the contents of the package and having a flange along one1ongitudinal edge, between which flange and the body of the plate, thefold of the flaps is received and upon which fold the plate is firmlyand immovably clamped, the flaps with the plate being then folded downon the end flaps with the body of the plate outward, substantially asdescribed.

HENRY M. HUMPHREY.

Witnesses:

J. FRED AOKER, EVERARD BOLTON MARsHALL.

